THR's Power Business Managers 2012

Along with partner Rick Shephard, John McIlwee maintains a small Los Angeles business management boutique with clients who are anything but small time: Ben Stiller, Courteney Cox, Kurt Russell, Jon Favreau, Maura Tierney and reality star Kendra Wilkinson, to name just a few.

The 20-year veteran (it’s the only job he has ever had) admires the profession in part because he gets the satisfaction of representing top Hollywood clients without the uncertainties that come with the entertainment business. “We’re not crafting their careers,” he notes. “The perception of us is much different — we’re trying to help them live their lives to their fullest.”